It's good to see The New York Times, a liberal newspaper whose bias is to take up minority causes, shine a spotlight on the double-standard that says protests of one type are OK while those of another are not. The right to speak up about WHATEVER your cause is, is a First Amendment right. But here's something else to think about:
Over the weekend, a hoax was perpetrated. Many aspects of this were, by the way, reminiscent of a prior occurrence which in that case was tied to Ru...ssia's "Internet Research Agency" posing as Americans and calling armed, opposing groups to the same place and time in Texas - https://money.cnn.com/…/russia-trolls-facebook-e…/index.html.
In this weekend's case, social media users purporting to be Antifa activists posted content purporting to call demonstrators to a "flag burning" at Gettysburg. But the only people who showed up were counter-protesters, with Antifa nowhere to be found. Reportedly, in response, the Central Pennsylvania Antifa chapter wrote, "We are not even remotely involved. Let them give each other COVID. We will be home with our families." (https://www.businessinsider.com/gettysburg-antifa-flag-burn…)
Here's what I'm getting to. The reason that gatherings were banned, is, indeed, to stop the spread of COVID. That First Amendment right - freedom of speech? Even the freedom of speech that allows Christians to proclaim the gospel is NOT what Jesus said the whole law and prophets are summed up in. What did He say? "Do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the prophets" (Matthew 7:12).
But Matthew 7:12, and the realities of how COVID spreads, also reveal a lack of judgment in the statement, "Let them give each other COVID. We will be home with our families." The virus shows like never before how we are all interconnected - we are all each other's neighbor. (That saying "we are all connected by 6 degrees of separation" - I don't know if it's 6, but it is definitely some finite and small number!) No matter what my cause is, if I go and gather with others at the moment, I increase the risk for EVERYONE in our society. (Conversely, a Confederate flag bearing group, Antifa, BLM, you name it... if they gather, even if I stay at home, my risk is increased.) That's just how the virus spreads.
That's why personally, regardless of what others are doing, I am still limiting my in-person interactions, paying attention to what epidemiologists and virologists are saying about how the virus spreads and the consequences of this particular virus. Even if I'm in a minority, I know I am doing something that might have a beneficial impact on others that I may even never be able to measure.
https://www.nytimes.com/…/Epidemiologists-coronavirus-prote…
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